Differences between Hindus and Muslims
grew after the colony of British
India was divided into the independent
Hindu children in Kolkata, India, participate
in the colorful festival of Holi. Holi is a celebration
of spring.
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Hinduism 57
countries of India and Pakistan in 1947.
Millions of Hindus left their homes in
Pakistan for India, and millions of Muslims
left India for Pakistan. Many Hindus
and Muslims were killed. In India
and elsewhere, violence between Hindus
and Muslims continued into the 21st
century.
#More to explore
Caste • Gandhi, Mahatma • Ganges
River • India • Pilgrimage • Sikhism
• Veda
Hinton, S.E.
S.E. Hinton is an author of popular
fiction for young adults. Her realistic
way of describing teenage life has
brought her fans worldwide. Hinton has
also published books for younger children
and adults.
Hinton’s full name is Susan Eloise Hinton.
She was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma,
on July 22, 1950. As a child she loved
reading, especially animal stories. At age
16 Hinton wrote The Outsiders, the
story of two rival high school groups. A
friend’s mother helped Hinton publish
the book. It remains Hinton’s most
famous and best-loved novel.
Hinton later wrote more novels for teenagers.
They included ThatWas Then,
This Is Now; Rumble Fish; Tex; and Taming
the Star Runner. Like The Outsiders,
these novels deal with teenagers in tough
situations. Hinton’s first four novels
were later made into movies.
In the 1990s Hinton wrote Big David,
Little David and The Puppy Sister for
younger readers. She published Hawkes
Harbor, a novel for adults, in 2004.
#More to explore
Fiction
Hip-Hop
Hip-hop is a type of music. It is also a
culture, or way of life. It includes many
types of expression—for example, rapping,
deejaying, dancing, and graffiti
painting. Fans of hip-hop culture also
wear certain styles of clothing.
Hip-hop music often has heavy beats
and electronic sounds. It may also
include other musical styles, such as jazz
or rock and roll. Rap is usually set to
hip-hop music. Rap is speech that has a
rhythm and rhymes.
Another part of hip-hop music is deejay-
S.E. Hinton ing. Deejays change the sound of
58 Hinton, S.E. BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
recorded music in various ways. They
may mix songs together or speed up or
slow down a song’s beat.
New styles of dancing developed along
with hip-hop music. Break dancing was
one of the earliest styles. Break dancing
is acrobatic. It includes such moves as
spinning on the back and springing
from the ground on the arms.
Many young people copy the clothing
styles of hip-hop stars. Some popular
hip-hop styles have been oversized
T-shirts, baggy pants, gym shoes, and
large jewelry.
The hip-hop movement began in poor,
mostly African American, parts of New
York City in the 1970s. Young African
Americans gathered at parties, where
they developed rapping, deejaying, and
break dancing.
The first rap song to become a national
hit was “Rapper’s Delight” by the Sugarhill
Gang. It came out in 1979. The
song helped to spread hip-hop culture
throughout the United States and the
rest of the world. Later hip-hop artists
included Run-D.M.C., LL Cool J, De
La Soul, Queen Latifah, Ice Cube,
Snoop Dogg, the Beastie Boys, Missy
Elliott, KanyeWest, and Sean Combs
(known as P. Diddy, or Diddy).
#More to explore
Popular Music • Rap
Hippopotamus
The hippopotamus is a huge mammal
that lives in eastern Africa. It spends
most of its time in rivers, lakes, and
swamps. The hippopotamus is related to
pigs. Its scientific name is Hippopotamus
amphibius.
Hippopotamuses have a barrel-shaped
body. They are about 11.5 feet (3.5
meters) long and weigh more than
7,000 pounds (3,200 kilograms). Their
hide is very thick. It is grayish brown
and almost hairless. Their skin releases
an oily substance that looks red in sunlight.
Scientists think that this substance
acts as sunscreen.
Hip-hop artist Kanye West performs in Los
Angeles, California.
Hippopotamuses live in and around water.
The name hippopotamus is Greek for “river
horse.”
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Hippopotamus 59
Hippopotamuses spend the day resting
in shallow water. They often sleep with
just their eyes, ears, and nose above the
water. A hippopotamus can also dive
down and walk on lake and river bottoms.
It can keep its head underwater
for 5 to 10 minutes before coming up to
breathe. At night hippopotamuses go
onto land to eat grasses.
The pygmy hippopotamus is a close
relative. It is very rare. It lives only in a
small part of western Africa. Pygmy hippopotamuses
are much smaller than
other hippopotamuses. The largest
weigh about 590 pounds (270 kilograms).
They spend less time in the
water than the larger hippopotamuses.
#More to explore
Mammal • Pig
Hiroshima
The city of Hiroshima is a port on the
island of Honshu in Japan. It was the
first city ever to be struck by an atomic
bomb.
Hiroshima was founded as a castle town
in the 1500s. Beginning in the 1860s it
was a military center. On August 6,
1945, in the last days of WorldWar II,
the United States dropped the atomic
bomb. Much of Hiroshima was
destroyed. More than 70,000 people
